New Bow Hunter - Advice Welcomed

[heavuser]

Hey Guys,

I started hunting last year, rifle. Didn't have a chance to get one but got a taste of the hobby and loved it. This year I bought a savage 220/climbing treestand and hunted Stewart, I was rewarded with my first doe. Now I am completely hooked and I don't want my season to be over this year. Which leads me to bow hunting, been watching it non stop on youtube and I really really want to get into it. I have everything I could need but the bow. I plan on going to Flying Arrow Sports to get my first bow on Monday, if possible. 

Any of you seasoned vets have any suggestions on setup, technique, just general advice on bowhunting?

[mlammerhirt]

Most importantly shoot multiple models and brands. The most expensive is not always the best so don't be fooled by price. No need to shoot a 70-80lb bow to kill a deer...50-60 is just fine and my guess is 85% of the guys and gals on this site are pulling less than 70lbs. Getting setup and selecting a bow that fits you will be a lengthy process so put aside some time.

Just a few suggestions on specific things you may want to think about for ypur setup.
Peep size
How many pins you want on your sight.
Pin size(.019 is a good size for hunting)
Type of rest...alot of guys shoot whisker biscuits or drop aways....read up on both.
Type of release....if going with a wrist style stay away from velcro(they are loud)


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[WNYTRPR]

I’m still sporting the Velcro lol

[heavuser]

4 minutes ago, mlammerhirt said:

Most importantly shoot multiple models and brands. The most expensive is not always the best so don't be fooled by price. No need to shoot a 70-80lb bow to kill a deer...50-60 is just fine and my guess is 85% of the guys and gals on this site are pulling less than 70lbs. Getting setup and selecting a bow that fits you will be a lengthy process so put aside some time.

Just a few suggestions on specific things you may want to think about for ypur setup.
Peep size
How many pins you want on your sight.
Pin size(.019 is a good size for hunting)
Type of rest...alot of guys shoot whisker biscuits or drop aways....read up on both.
Type of release....if going with a wrist style stay away from velcro(they are loud)


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Awesome, this is the stuff I am looking for. 

 

Thank you!

[jperch]

18 minutes ago, mlammerhirt said:

Most importantly shoot multiple models and brands. The most expensive is not always the best so don't be fooled by price. No need to shoot a 70-80lb bow to kill a deer...50-60 is just fine and my guess is 85% of the guys and gals on this site are pulling less than 70lbs. Getting setup and selecting a bow that fits you will be a lengthy process so put aside some time.

Just a few suggestions on specific things you may want to think about for ypur setup.
Peep size
How many pins you want on your sight.
Pin size(.019 is a good size for hunting)
Type of rest...alot of guys shoot whisker biscuits or drop aways....read up on both.
Type of release....if going with a wrist style stay away from velcro(they are loud)


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All great advice here.  It's wise to go to a pro shop and get set up correctly from the start as far as things like draw length, bow tuning, arrows, etc.  So you are headed in the right direction, don't be in a hurry, it's a life-long journey!

[heavuser]

8 minutes ago, jperch said:

All great advice here.  It's wise to go to a pro shop and get set up correctly from the start as far as things like draw length, bow tuning, arrows, etc.  So you are headed in the right direction, don't be in a hurry, it's a life-long journey!

Definitely not in a rush, but I do have that itch to go out!

Do you know any places around 3m where I could go practice my draws? I live in an apartment so open space is not really a thing.

[BizCT]

Are you going to Flying Arrow in Carmel? That’s where I bought my bow. I went in unbiased and shot as many bows as I could and went with the one that felt the smoothest for my bad shoulder. They were an awesome help. Good luck!


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[Robhuntandfish]

Bow hunting is the absolute best time of year.  You think you enjoy the gun season wait til next year.  

The best weather, prime rutting time, and deer that aren't as spooked.  There is nothing like it. I actually don't look forward too much to gun season anymore. Opening weekend is great but the bow season is the best. 

Be sure to be more careful of wind direction and your scent. Also of your movement. You'll need them close of course.  

Don't get frustrated but enjoy the highs and lows and look at it as a learning experience.

Be proficient as you can with the bow before season. Try out some 3D shoots, they are fun and great for practice. 

As others said have a pro shop help set you up with a bow esp the first one.  

Use a lifeline if your going to be up in tree. 

Don't think because of hunting shows your going to shoot a 12 pt.  Any deer with a bow is an achievement. 

Have a plan to take care of a deer in warm weather. 

Read up on blood trailing. 

Your gonna love it.  Good luck and ask questions here anytime . Lots of good info to be had.  

Oh and a range finder is a great tool for a bow Hunter.  When in the stand mark some areas close by for 25 or 30 yards as a reference. And shoot within your ability. 

Edited December 11, 2021 by Robhuntandfish

[mlammerhirt]

I’m still sporting the Velcro lol

Turned the velcro release into a backup. Went with a Scott shark with a buckle and it's awesome.

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[suburbanfarmer]

15 minutes ago, heavuser said:

Definitely not in a rush, but I do have that itch to go out!

Do you know any places around 3m where I could go practice my draws? I live in an apartment so open space is not really a thing.

Pickup a crossbow if you want to go out in the later part of this yr.

Getting proficient with a bow takes time, practice, practice and then some more practice.

[Jeremy K]

A touch more on the advanced side of things but when it comes to arrow selection the current trend is to shoot a super front heavy arrow . This will be called FOC . You could do a little bit of reading on your own to become more familiar it and how incredibly useless high FOC set ups are for whitetail  Hopefully the bow tech at the store will set you up with something proper.  Also like mentioned above shoot different models and you'll easily narrow down the ones that feel best .

[crappyice]

And if going to Flying Arrow in Carmel, ask for Dave. He’s the best and will spend time with you on the range offering some pointers. I drive the 50 minutes to have him work on my bow as opposed to using a shop closer to me (where he originally worked and where I met him).


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[heavuser]

51 minutes ago, Biz-R-OWorld said:

Are you going to Flying Arrow in Carmel? That’s where I bought my bow. I went in unbiased and shot as many bows as I could and went with the one that felt the smoothest for my bad shoulder. They were an awesome help. Good luck!


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50 minutes ago, Robhuntandfish said:

Bow hunting is the absolute best time of year.  You think you enjoy the gun season wait til next year.  

The best weather, prime rutting time, and deer that aren't as spooked.  There is nothing like it. I actually don't look forward too much to gun season anymore. Opening weekend is great but the bow season is the best. 

Be sure to be more careful of wind direction and your scent. Also of your movement. You'll need them close of course.  

Don't get frustrated but enjoy the highs and lows and look at it as a learning experience.

Be proficient as you can with the bow before season. Try out some 3D shoots, they are fun and great for practice. 

As others said have a pro shop help set you up with a bow esp the first one.  

Use a lifeline if your going to be up in tree. 

Don't think because of hunting shows your going to shoot a 12 pt.  Any deer with a bow is an achievement. 

Have a plan to take care of a deer in warm weather. 

Read up on blood trailing. 

Your gonna love it.  Good luck and ask questions here anytime . Lots of good info to be had.  

Oh and a range finder is a great tool for a bow Hunter.  When in the stand mark some areas close by for 25 or 30 yards as a reference. And shoot within your ability. 

I do use a lifeline with my current climber, its a Treestand Wingman. I spent an entire afternoon jumping out of trees testing it out, lowered me gently to the ground every time!

I definitely do not have expectations of shooting a buck, though I did see 2 this year and both I spooked. 

I also need to pick up a range finder. I was thinking about purchasing one this year but couldn't justify it shooting rifle.

42 minutes ago, suburbanfarmer said:

Pickup a crossbow if you want to go out in the later part of this yr.

Getting proficient with a bow takes time, practice, practice and then some more practice.

I thought hard and heavy about this. Originally that was the plan but when I saw that Hunting Season starts in September I decided to go with bow. It's okay if I don't get anything with it this year, at least I will have from practice time in for next years hunt.

28 minutes ago, Jeremy K said:

A touch more on the advanced side of things but when it comes to arrow selection the current trend is to shoot a super front heavy arrow . This will be called FOC . You could do a little bit of reading on your own to become more familiar it and how incredibly useless high FOC set ups are for whitetail  Hopefully the bow tech at the store will set you up with something proper.  Also like mentioned above shoot different models and you'll easily narrow down the ones that feel best .

I definitely plan on shooting as many models as they will let me. Will read up on FOC.

[heavuser]

10 minutes ago, crappyice said:

And if going to Flying Arrow in Carmel, ask for Dave. He’s the best and will spend time with you on the range offering some pointers. I drive the 50 minutes to have him work on my bow as opposed to using a shop closer to me (where he originally worked and where I met him).


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That's exactly where I plan to go! The drive is about 45 minutes for me as well. I'm in the new windsor area. 

[BizCT]

That's exactly where I plan to go! The drive is about 45 minutes for me as well. I'm in the new windsor area. 

Nice. Same as crappy said. They were awesome to deal with. You’ll get an hour of range time free too


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[grampy]

When getting your first bow, it's all about feel. Forget brand names, and choose the one that feels best to you! Sounds like you have a line on a good bow shop and tech. That's more than half the battle. They should get you all squared away.

Once you have your new bow, learning proper form from the start, will be imperative to shortening the learning curve. Plenty of YouTube and other sources to learn from. Then once you have that, each shot will be a check down, done exactly the same each shot.

Proper grip. 

Draw smooth.

Push-Pull the bow.

Hit your anchor.

Let the pin float over the target. 

Smooth release.

Follow through.....Don't move that bow arm, till the arrow hits the target.

Repeat over and over.

Edited December 11, 2021 by grampy

[mlammerhirt]

Nice. Same as crappy said. They were awesome to deal with. You’ll get an hour of range time free too


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BIZ...What brands does this shop sell.
Mathews.....hoyt.......
Any smaller companies like Athens?

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[BizCT]

BIZ...What brands does this shop sell.
Mathews.....hoyt.......
Any smaller companies like Athens?

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It was 2017 but I remember shooting Hoyt, Mathews, bowtech, PSE, maybe elite and 1 or 2 others? I honestly wasn’t paying attention to brands. I shot the halon first and hated it. It was down to a black Hoyt or Mathews no cam and no cam was just so smooth I went with it


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[heavuser]

You guys are great, thank you so much for all the advice. I went to flying arrows today with a budget of 1500. Dave no longer works there but I still received great help. They had 2 bows in my price range, a Hoyt and a Bowtech. After testing them both I chose the 2021 Bowtech Carbon Zion Compound. I have a 29" draw length and 60lb draw weight. I forget the type of arrows, I think something with a v1 350? All I remember is that it was 175 for a dozen. Still haven't chosen my release or broadheads yet.

 

Again, thank you all. You have been great.

 

[doebuck1234]

15 minutes ago, heavuser said:

You guys are great, thank you so much for all the advice. I went to flying arrows today with a budget of 1500. Dave no longer works there but I still received great help. They had 2 bows in my price range, a Hoyt and a Bowtech. After testing them both I chose the 2021 Bowtech Carbon Zion Compound. I have a 29" draw length and 60lb draw weight. I forget the type of arrows, I think something with a v1 350? All I remember is that it was 175 for a dozen. Still haven't chosen my release or broadheads yet.

 

Again, thank you all. You have been great.

 

Can't wait to hear of the addiction you just started and pics of your first bow harvest!!!

[Robhuntandfish]

That bowtech is sweet. Was eyeing one myself.  But holding out for now. Nice rig and good luck with the new endeavor. 

[mlammerhirt]

You guys are great, thank you so much for all the advice. I went to flying arrows today with a budget of 1500. Dave no longer works there but I still received great help. They had 2 bows in my price range, a Hoyt and a Bowtech. After testing them both I chose the 2021 Bowtech Carbon Zion Compound. I have a 29" draw length and 60lb draw weight. I forget the type of arrows, I think something with a v1 350? All I remember is that it was 175 for a dozen. Still haven't chosen my release or broadheads yet.
 
Again, thank you all. You have been great.
 

Were the arrows "Victory"?
If so i shoot an HD V1 victory arrow in 350....it's a solid arrow.

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[heavuser]

51 minutes ago, mlammerhirt said:

Were the arrows "Victory"?
If so i shoot an HD V1 victory arrow in 350....it's a solid arrow.

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Yes! Lol, you got it.

[suburbanfarmer]

Welcome to the addiction

[UWShunter]

Flying Arrow is awesome! Nick the son is a great guy, extremely patient and knowledgeable in his craft! Great choice. I travel over an hour just to go there.


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